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Being told by a private swimming teacher to use a potty at the side of a pool during a swim lesson

6 replies

joosiewoosie · 05/10/2016 01:17

My husband takes my daughter to local private swim lessons in a pool in the teacher's back garden. This lady and her colleague are well regarded locally and they take beginner swimmers in groups of 6 together so the ratio is 1:3. My daughter had made huge progress since going there and enjoys her lessons. They are strict but that's fine by me as everyone needs to be safe around water.

My husband waits in a room in the garden with my younger daughter as the lesson is only 30 mins and my swimming daughter is 4y2m old.

Tonight, he told me that he was called into the pool area to help wipe our daughter's bottom and dispose of contents as she'd had a poo on the potty at the poolside. (She's been using the toilet since she was 2 and three quarters).

I feel very uncomfortable about this for the following reasons:

  1. there is a toilet in the garden just outside the pool area.
  2. the teachers know my husband stays but they did not call him to take her to the toilet; just to wipe her bottom and dispose of the potty contents.
  3. this must've meant that my little girl had to strip off her costume and poo on the potty in front of her classmates and the 2 adults who conduct the class, which makes me feel as if her dignity and privacy have been abused.

    I'm now wondering what kind of establishment this lady is running. Due to her reputation, like a remiss parent, I do not even know if she is DBS checked or not, or registered with an appropriate swimming association, (my daughter has received her 10 and 20 metres ASA badges from these classes, so I assumed membership and adherence to some code of professional conduct).

    I have messaged the teacher tonight stating that I do not feel using a potty is appropriate or safe in terms of safeguarding and asked her to call my husband to take her to the toilet in future. (He asks my daughter if she needs the loo before every lesson anyway but today she said no but she had a tummyache).

    I hope to get a response from her tomorrow. But now I can't switch off from wondering what to do next. I feel very uncomfortable about it indeed. I almost feeling like asking questions to NSPCC or the local safeguarding board, but do not want to stir up trouble where there is none. Am I over- reacting and blowing a simple solution to an immediate problem up into something it's not?

    Any suggestions/responses from anyone in a private swimming teaching capacity or parents with such experience would be gratefully received.
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joosiewoosie · 05/10/2016 09:42

Anyone? Or is NSPCC my best bet?
I have received an 'explanation' message from the teacher which I don't feel is acceptable even though she has said it won't happen again.

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RainbowDashstolemyidentity · 05/10/2016 09:58

I think that is absolutely shocking, your poor DD.
I m sure that they think it is easier to let them use a potty on the side of the pool rather than actually take them to the toilet as they may not have the staff for that. However, if they went to get your DP to empty the potty then why not just get him to take her.
It's unhygienic too surely. Never heard of anything like that in my life!

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LIZS · 05/10/2016 10:06

Perhaps not all parents stay! They cannot leta. Child go off unsupervised nor compromise their ratios. Definitely not ideal but how come no one has spotted the potty before, if it is in such full view. Was your dh watching the lesson or entertaining your dd2?

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MoonfaceAndSilky · 05/10/2016 10:10

Omg, your dd is 4 and had to use a potty in front of everyone? Was there a screen or something around her? Seems really odd to me Confused

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minipie · 05/10/2016 10:25

Honestly? I think this is a bit of a fuss about nothing. Certainly nothing the NSPCC will be interested in - they have actual abuse and neglect cases to be dealing with.

Was your DD actually bothered by using the potty in front of others? IME 4 year olds are pretty unembarrassed about bodily functions. Perhaps your DD is though.

I imagine the teacher didn't call your DH to take your DD to the loo because it may have taken some time to do that and your DD might have had an accident in the meantime. Also a wet child going out into the garden in cold weather is not a good idea as she could get very chilled.

What did the explanation message say?

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Dancergirl · 05/10/2016 14:48

Sounds very strange. What does your dd say about it? Did she ask to go to the toilet?

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